Tachibana Tadaaki recalled the incident near the public cemetery and knelt on the ground, covering his face in anxiety and fear, as if struck by a blow.
Huang Xiaocao quickly went to comfort him, but Tachibana Tadaaki pushed her hand away, saying, "You don't need to bother. I'm done with this. I'm going back to pack. I'm quitting this job and leaving this place!"
"Mr. Tachibana, but no one can leave now. Everyone connected to the will is a suspect!" Gao Mingqiang suddenly moved his wheelchair to block Tachibana, who was about to leave. Tachibana coldly replied, " I'm just a lawyer. What does this have to do with me?"
"But you are also in the will. Aren't you afraid that after you leave here, that person will kill you halfway? If you are truly scared, it's best to stay within our police surveillance!"
Gao Mingqiang said solemnly. Tachibana Tadaaki closed his eyes and sighed, finally compromising.
Xiahou hadn't arrived yet, as he was still busy watching Roy's situation. I also put him aside for the moment. After the forensic investigators finished examining the scene, we couldn't find any more clues. The charred body was sent back to the police station in Shanhai Town. Although the equipment here was rudimentary, my仵作 (wǔzuò - coroner/examiner) autopsy methods should not be greatly affected.
I asked Zhang Keying and Xie Chuchu to assist me, hoping to find some clues on the body. I found a temporary room to serve as a forensic laboratory and began the autopsy.
Facing the foreign body, I did not hesitate. As before, I started with the surface skin, then used the 仵作 (wǔzuò) bone-feeling technique to estimate the time of death to be 3 hours and 20 minutes prior. Then we opened the victim's stomach. I found some remnants of burned food waste, such as mustard greens, red wine, and pork, in his gastric contents.
I asked someone to investigate where Mr. Tadaaki Toshin had eaten before his death based on the menu. Although Gao Mingqiang was in a wheelchair, he volunteered for this task. Sometimes I wondered if people outside would be uncooperative when they saw him in his wheelchair, but a police ID should be effective, right?
It was a miracle that these items were not burned during the cremation. It was likely because they were blocked by the body, slowing down the burning. The fire department also did not arrive too late to put out the fire.
Apart from the scalpel, there were no other instruments available. Looking at the gutted corpse, I wondered what other methods I could use with 仵作 (wǔzuò) techniques. The contents of my grandfather's ancient book continuously flooded my mind, just like a renowned feng shui master, I understood the intricacies of it and found more mysteries from the details of the secret manual.
After closing my eyes and thinking for about 5 minutes, Zhang Keying and Xie Chuchu seemed to understand my actions and did not disturb me until this information appeared in my mind: "Hesheng, for a completely charred body, although the skin is damaged, if you want to detect other substances in the deceased's body, you can use the He family's Gut Extraction and Repatriation technique. As the name suggests, it involves using special methods in the intestines and stomach to break down substances like E. coli, and then the only remaining blood in the intestines will be released."
When my grandfather told me this, I was actually very confused. After all, the intestines, stomach, and E. coli seemed to have little to do with blood. But my grandfather said that this was ancestral experience, and I didn't need to understand the reason, just to use it.
I opened my eyes, feeling my grandfather's guidance. I didn't want to hesitate any longer, so I quickly said, "Chuchu, I need you to do me a favor. Buy me a steel pipe, a flask, and some cacti!"
"Senior, what are you up to this time?"
"Just go buy them. This won't do. We must find some clues on the body. Hurry up! Otherwise, we won't be able to stop the murderer from committing more crimes!"
"Okay! I got it!" Xie Chuchu left. Zhang Keying then said to me, "Which 仵作 (wǔzuò) technique are you using this time? Have I heard of it?"
I shook my head and said, "It's my first time using it. This is different from bone-feeling, corpse-raising, or restoration techniques. It should be risky, but I won't give up."
You know, it's not difficult to test for DNA on a charred body, but extracting blood is different. Even with forensic methods, it would take many laboratory tests, which would greatly reduce work efficiency. By the time we get the conclusion, those people in the will might all be dead.
I wanted to get the results as soon as possible. Seeing how determined I was, Zhang Keying didn't dare to object, only staring at the dark, charred body with heavy eyes.
It wasn't until Xie Chuchu returned with the items I requested that I instructed them to help me. I first made an incision in the deceased's abdomen and inserted the steel pipe into his small intestine, then placed the flask above the pipe. Xie Chuchu helped me split the cactus and released its juice. Although cacti don't need much water, they can actually store a lot of water inside. When it was broken open, a lot of water quickly dripped into the glass dish I had prepared.
Then, I poured some specially prepared Chinese herbal medicine from our He family into these juices. The ingredients in this medicine include rhubarb, pine nuts, and cypress nuts, etc. If you investigate, you will know that these are all medications that promote smooth bowel movements.
There was also a Chinese herbal medicine called Huomaren, which is sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and belongs to the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians.
The He family's unique skill, Gut Extraction and Repatriation technique, that I am using now, relies on first relaxing all the muscles and nerves of the stomach and intestines, and then using our He family's special acupuncture technique, the Seven Orifices Exquisite Needle, to force out the last remaining blood hidden in the stomach and intestines...
After pouring the Chinese herbal medicine into the deceased's stomach and intestines, I heard sounds like sewage flowing in the sewer echoing in my ears. I couldn't help but silently recite, "Grandfather, Father, Uncle, and all the great sages of our ancestors, I hope you will help me find clues and bring justice to the deceased, and help him clear his name."
As I recited, I already felt that all the specially formulated Chinese herbal medicines had filled the human body. Then came the final step. I held my breath, my deep eyes fixed on the ten silver needles radiating spiritual energy in my hand. At a speed visible to the naked eye, they were instantly inserted into the Zuxiao, Zhongwan, Xiawan, and other acupoints of the deceased...